The present invention generally relates to an assembling apparatus for electrical and electronic components or parts, and more particularly to a component inserting apparatus which is arranged to insert electric components or parts each having its lead wires extending in the same directions, for example, various electric components having different shapes such as ceramic capacitors, (e.g. those shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B)), electrolytic capacitors (e.g. one shown in FIG. 1(C)), vertical resistors (e.g. one shown in FIG. 1(D)), transistors (e.g. one shown in FIG. 1(E)) or the like into predetermined openings formed in a printed circuit board up to the root portions of the lead wires.
As shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, one conventional apparatus of the above described type comprises a gripping means 202 for gripping the body of an electric component 201, a vertically movable main shaft 203 having the gripping means mounted thereon, a pair of positioning cams 207 rotatably disposed around horizontal shafts 204 under the gripping means 202 and each having an insertion guide 206 with a guide groove 205 formed therein, a spring 208 for urging the insertion guide 206 in a direction along which the lower end of the insertion guide 206 is mutually narrowed, and an adjusting device 210 adapted to regulate the pivotal range of the insertion guide 206 by the spring 208 and mounted on a bearing 209. When the positioning cam 207 comes into contact against one portion of the main shaft 203 through the descent of the main shaft 203, the motion of the insertion guide 206 in a direction along which the distance between the lower ends of the insertion guides 206 is spread is regulated. The lead wires of an electric component 201 gripped by the gripping means 202 descending together with the main shaft 203 are adapted to be guided to the given positions of the printed circuit board 211 by the insertion guides 206. Therefore, upon descending of the bearing 209, the insertion guides 206 contact a given position of the printed circuit board 211. Then, the main shaft 203 descends to allow one portion of the main shaft 203 to come into contact against the positioning cams 207 thereby securing the insertion guides 206 (FIG. 2). Upon further descending of the main shaft 203, the lead wires of the electric component 201 are inserted into the given holes by the guide grooves 205. As some space is provided between the printed circuit board 211 and the electric component body, the inserting operation is completed. One portion of the main shaft 203 and the positioning cam do not contact against each other, with the result that the insertion guide becomes rotatable (FIG. 3) around the horizontal shaft 204. When the main shaft 203 and the bearing 209 rise, the insertion guides 206 come into contact against the body of the electric component 201 and are rotatable around the shafts 204, with the result that the insertion guides rise while rotating in the directions of arrows A (FIG. 4). When the lead wires of the electric component 201 are inserted up to the roots of the lead wires in this method, the body of the electric component 201 comes into contact against the insertion guides 206. As the insertion guides 206 rotate around the shafts 204, they come into contact against the printed circuit board 211 to prevent the electric component 201 from being inserted further.